Register
Key info

Min. age for training: 16

Min. age for assessment: 18

Training: 1 day

Assessment: 3 hrs

 

Average time from training to passing assessment: currently unknown - new qualification introduced spring 2025.

 

Ideal for: Bouldering wall staff, young people who’ve completed NICAS Bouldering Level 4 or 5, people who run bouldering sessions on artificial walls or towers.

Entry requirements

To register

 
  • You must be at least 16 years old
  • You should have at least 3 months of experience of using indoor/artificial bouldering walls, including a major public bouldering centre
  • You should have an interest in bouldering and in supervising groups bouldering
  • You must be a member (club or individual) of a mountaineering council (BMC, Mountaineering Ireland, Mountaineering Scotland). Find out why this is required.
  • You must create an account on our system and register for the Bouldering Wall Instructor qualification (cost: £69)

To book a training course

 
  • You must be registered on the Bouldering Wall Instructor qualification
  • You must have recorded (ideally on DLOG*):
    • Visits to three different indoor/artificial bouldering walls on at least 15 different occasions; this must include at least one major public bouldering centre.
    • Personal bouldering at V2 or above

To book an assessment course
  • You must be at least 18 years old.
  • You must have attended a Bouldering Wall Instructor training course or have been granted exemption from training.
  • You must be familiar with the syllabus.
  • You must have logged a minimum of 30 personal climbing visits to at least three different indoor/artificial bouldering venues.
  • You must boulder proficiently at V2.
  • You must have assisted in the supervision of at least 10 instructed sessions on at least two different indoor/artificial bouldering venues, including a large public facility. A session is a minimum of an hour and instructors may hold a Mountain Training qualification or a site-specific sign off. At least five of these sessions must have personal reflective comments** recorded on DLOG.
  • You must have a current first aid certificate, gained by completing an in-person (not online) course which involved at least one full day or eight hours of instruction and included an element of assessment.

 

*DLOG is the digital logbook on our system, which you will be able to access once you have registered on a qualification.

 

**What are personal reflective comments?

 

Courses

Training and assessment courses are delivered by our approved providers in public and private bouldering walls across the UK or Ireland. A variety of cost packages are available, depending on what's included; food, accommodation etc. so you can choose one that's right for you.

 

Training

Bouldering Wall Instructor training lasts for one day, or two or three sessions, and will cover:

  • The Bouldering Wall Instructor syllabus
  • What to expect at assessment
  • Feedback on your performance and areas to focus on prior to assessment

 

Optional online learning is available through your candidate account on:

  • Pathway to effective leadership
  • Leader responsibilities

 

Syllabus

Technical competence (including personal bouldering skills and background knowledge)

Management and decision making (including instructor responsibilities, leadership and decision-making, knowledge and demonstration of techniques, hazards and emergency procedures)

Teaching and learning skills

The climbing environment (including etiquette and ethics)

 

Consolidation

After completing a training course, use the feedback from your course director and the skills checklist to identify syllabus areas you need to practise.

 

Our membership association (Mountain Training Association) offers peer-led learning opportunities and formal workshops on a range of topics, from coaching climbing movement to developing your leadership/instructing style, to help you during this phase.

 

Join our association

Assessment

The Bouldering Wall Instructor assessment is 3 hours. You will be assessed against the syllabus competencies with a group of participants. At the end of the assessment you will receive one of three results

  • Pass
  • Defer (requires a partial reassessment)
  • Fail (requires a full reassessment)
Resources

Candidate handbook last updated: June 2026

Candidate handbook
Trainer and assessor guidance notes
Bouldering Guidance on session delivery and supervision.

Other qualifications

Doesn't sound like the right qualification for you? Consider the following:

 

Indoor Climbing Assistant

Foundation Coach

Rock Climbing Instructor

Which qualification is is right for me?

Find a course Join our association
FUNdamentals of Climbing

Find out more about FUNdamental workshops